


Starscape

by Lady_Arrowwood, RadiantSeraphina (Lady_Arrowwood)



Category: Kirby (Video Games), Kirby - All Media Types
Genre: Heterosexual Life Partners, M/M, Pre-Slash, maybe slightly homo life partners, the result of too much Don Quijote and Kirby's Return to Dreamland
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-09
Updated: 2015-02-09
Packaged: 2018-03-11 09:54:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3323144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Arrowwood/pseuds/Lady_Arrowwood, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Arrowwood/pseuds/RadiantSeraphina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Meta Knight will always be King Dedede's dearest companion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Starscape

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted to ff.net. It wasn't supposed to be slash, but it seems to be kind of tiptoeing into it...

_Bandanna Dee was left with the waddle dees, who chattered excitedly at his arrival. Bandanna Dee was a special waddle dee, Sir Meta Knight’s waddle dee, or so they heard. One waddle dee, braver than his companions, approached Bandanna Dee and asked, “Did you really sail with Sir Meta Knight?”_

_“You know about that?” Bandanna Dee asked. “You know about Sir Meta Knight?”_

_“Silly creature, everyone knows about him!_

_“Traitor of Dreamland!”_

_“Scary swordsman! Evil creature!”_

_Bandanna Dee shifted uncomfortably on his feet; his former master was good and kind and not all those horrible things! “Sir Meta Knight is really nice,” Bandanna Dee said. “He isn’t evil!”_

_The waddle dees stared at their new comrade; they couldn’t understand how someone who betrayed King Dedede, who gave the waddle dees food and let them clean, could be anything but evil. Bandanna Dee sighed. “Have any of you even spoken to Sir Meta Knight?”_

_“Of course! He lived here, when he was young!”_

_“He wore that scary mask!”_

_Meta Knight was nearly blind without that mask, but Bandanna Dee didn’t mention it; he didn’t want to expose his former master’s weakness, in case the waddle dees didn’t know about it. “I remember when he first came here,” an old waddle dee said. “It was so centuries ago, when King Dedede’s father was king.”_

_So the waddle dees gathered around to listen._

 

* * *

 

 

The waddle dees pulled the creature from the river. It was a small thing, caught in their nets. Afraid of such confinement, the thing twisted and thrashed, trying to slash through the net with its sword. The king of Dreamland stared at the creature, content to let the thing struggle and making no effort to help it. "What should we do with it?” a waddle dee asked.

 

The king thought really hard for several seconds. Then, he waddled to the creature. Its silver-white eyes glared at him. “Ugly thing, isn’t it?” he asked, nudging the blue thing in the foot. “I think it’s blind, too.”

 

The creature growled and slashed at the king. The net was too tight, though, and instead of striking anything, the creature dropped its sword. A waddle dee scrambled to grasp it. “Gwasia!” the thing shrieked.

 

The king, oblivious to the thing’s attack, clapped his paws together excitedly. “It can be a pet for Dedede!”

 

Delighted at his novel idea, the king sent a waddle dee to find a collar and leash for the small, blue thing. A scarfy—the king decided it was a scarfy, while he waited for the waddle dee to return. Eventually, the scarfy-thing exhausted itself out and remained in the net, panting and mumbling incoherently. Its strength seemed to return, when the waddle dees went to free it from the net. Tired of the waddle dees taking so long to subdue the thing, the king waddled over, stamped on the creature’s wings, and pinned it to the ground. The scarfy-thing yelped, in what the king decided was surprise.

 

Unfortunately, the scarfy-thing was round, and it was difficult to put a collar on. Eventually, the king managed to force it around the roundest part of the creature’s body. This put the collar over the thing’s mouth, effectively gagging it; the king saw nothing wrong with that, as pets were supposed to wear collars, and it had the nice effect of silencing the scarfy-thing’s sharp cries.

 

The creature, sobbing and mostly blind, stumbled along behind the king, though the king noticed neither. He’d heard that new pets cried sometimes, when they were taken to new environments, and assumed that the little scarfy-thing would be fine.

 

* * *

 

_The waddle dees notice King Dedede slip away from the castle, but he punts them back with his hammer, when they try to follow. It doesn’t hurt the waddle dees, but they remain at the castle anyway. The king ambles onward, refusing to let the darkness deter him. He’s a tangle of emotions, and he won’t rest until this is resolved._

_If he waits, he might be unable to resolve it anyway. So he keeps walking._

_After a few hours, he stumbles upon the waddle dee, with its jaunty sailor hat. The creature squeaks and waves its arms in alarm. “Sir Meta--!”_

_Dedede sends the waddle dee flying into the bushes, before it can finish crying for its master. It doesn’t matter. Meta Knight arrives, with fiery eyes and strong wings._

 

* * *

His pet was boring; it just sat in the cage, with its face buried between its paws. Sometimes, it tried to remove the collar, but its arms were too small to grab it, much less remove it. Besides, the cage was so tiny that it could barely move, and the bars crushed its aching wings into its back. Of course, Dedede did not realize those things. His father insisted that the little, blue thing was his pet, pets wore collars, and Dedede was at that young age, where he genuinely believed in his parents’ infallibility.

 

That being said, he was determined to be a good pet owner. He’d even asked the waddle dees to fetch books about what pets and their owners were supposed to do. Humming, Dedede skipped into the room, a basket of apples hanging over one arm. Pets were supposed to do tricks for food; Dedede had read that and really hoped to coax the scarfy-thing into doing something.

 

“Hello, Blue!” Dedede exclaimed.

 

Dedede had never been particularly clever at naming things. The scarfy-thing didn’t respond; Dedede assumed the creature wasn’t especially bright and hadn’t learned its name yet. He opened the cage door, and the creature barreled into Dedede, with more force than something so small should have. Dedede winced; the thing had knocked him to the ground.

 

It really was a stupid creature; it didn’t even know who its master was. Dedede rubbed his back and reminded himself to be patient. The creature thrashed on the ground, one wing free but crumpled to its side and the other pinned to its back. It continued like that for several minutes, while Dedede watched. “Maybe I need to clip its wings,” Dedede muttered.

 

Some pet owners clipped their pets’ wings, and the scarfy-thing had wings. It made perfect sense to Dedede. At his words, the scarfy-thing spun around and stared at Dedede, with a wide, horrified eyes. It shook violently, from side to side. “Pets aren’t supposed to argue with their masters,” Dedede scoffed.

 

The scrafy-thing suddenly seemed to realize that Dedede had food. This reminded Dedede of his original mission. If the scarfy-thing was going to eat anything, Dedede needed to remove that collar. He doubted the pet would come easily, though. “If you come here, I’ll take your collar off, and I won’t clip your wings,” Dedede said, in what he thought was a placating tone.

 

The creature seemed to consider the proposal, before finally resigning itself to its fate and waddling over to Dedede. Cheered, Dedede quickly removed the collar, and the creature dove into the apples, before Dedede could even think of a good trick.

 

Dedede sighed and pulled the pet away. It squirmed and whined, so Dedede hugged the creature against his chest, careful to avoid the claws on the scarfy-thing’s wings. “Gwasia!” it yelped.

 

“Gwasia?” Dedede echoed.

 

Were pets _supposed_ to talk? He dropped the creature, which made a faint squeak in protest. It bolted to its feet and glared at Dedede. “Wan’ Gwasia! Wan’ apples! No ke’p me. I bwave wa’or!”

 

Dedede had no idea what ‘Gwasia’ was, but he vaguely caught that the scarfy-thing wanted apples and believed itself to be a brave warrior. “If you want apples, you have to do a trick—like beg for them, or something. That’s what pets do.”

 

The creature bristled at the word _beg_ and stomped back into its cage. “Fi’ t’anks,” it said, settling down with its face on its paws.

 

“Well, you have to put your collar back on,” Dedede insisted, picking it off the ground.

 

The prince walked back to the cage, and the scarfy-thing growled at him. Dedede didn’t feel particularly threatened. “Don’t make me call the waddle dees in here,” Dedede warned.

 

“No wan’ t’at!” it exclaimed.

 

The creature scrambled back and hissed in pain, when its wings brushed the bars of the cage. It would be a losing battle; the scarfy-thing knew that, but having that thing on hurt _so badly._ It couldn’t understand why _everyone_ kept hurting it and locking it up. Was it really such a horrible, bad thing? The creature sobbed— _and loathed itself for being weak like that._

Dedede assumed the creature was merely being stubborn, and it was much easier to grab at the scarfy-thing in the cage, where it couldn’t flail around as much.

“Pwease!” it whimpered, scrambling back as far as it could in the cage. “Hu’ts. Poyo!”

 

“Oh. But you’re a pet. Pets are _supposed_ to wear collars,” Dedede said sagely.

 

“No’ wan’ be pet!”

 

The creature sobbed again, and Dedede couldn’t bring himself to try anymore. Even if his pet was dumb and didn’t realize that it had to wear a collar, Dedede didn’t want to upset it. It wasn’t the scarfy-thing’s fault that it was a little stupid.

 

Instead, Dedede locked the cage, guiltily noting that the creature appeared to be fighting tears. Dedede opened the cage again and tossed the apples in, before locking it.  

 

* * *

 

 

_As tempting as it would be to knock some sense—quite literally—into Meta Knight, Dedede knows that there’s something intangible and fragile in the air, and if he attacks Meta Knight, that nameless, fragile thing will shatter. Besides, it isn’t as if Dedede could ever hope to best Meta Knight; the puffball hasn’t drawn his blade, but Dedede knows how fast Meta Knight is. With a faint sigh, Dedede lowers his hammer, sets it aside, and offers Meta Knight his paw._

_For a few seconds, Meta Knight just stares at the king, but Meta Knight is too much of gentleman not to shake the paw that is being offered to him. They both know this, and eventually—shyly and defiantly, Meta Knight raises his paw. “You shouldn’t be here,” Meta Knight says. “It’s unbefitting for kings to consort with traitors.”_

 

* * *

 

The next time Dedede visited his pet, he found that it looked up, when he entered the room. “Hey,” Dedede said.

 

“Wet me out, pwease,” it said.

 

“Let you out?”

 

Dedede paused and considered the request. “Why?”

 

“Hu’ts,” the creature mumbled.

 

“Everything hurts you, doesn’t it?” Dedede muttered, exasperation creeping into his tone.

 

The creature’s eyes seemed to shine with anger, but it said nothing. With a sigh, Dedede opened the cage and scrambled backwards, expecting the scarfy-thing to slam into him. It didn’t. Instead, it carefully picked its way out of the cage. Once out, it tentatively spread its wings. Dedede didn’t know much about wings, but after seeing them spread out like that, he didn’t think they were supposed to look all crumpled like they were. “Are those broken?” Dedede asked.

 

“Maybwe,” the creature muttered. “Hwa’d to move fo’ a lon’ time.”

 

Dedede knew nothing about broken bones, but there was a court physician. “I can get someone to see if they are,” Dedede said hesitantly, “If you’ll wait here. I won’t make you get back in the cage.”

 

The creature sat, and Dedede took that as an indication that it would wait. “I’ll be quick,” Dedede said.

 

“B’ you w’ll come back?” the creature asked. “No’ t’at otha one?”

 

“Yeah, it’ll be me.”

 

* * *

 

 

_Traitor? The word rings around Dedede’s head. Dedede has an image of Meta Knight, an image built from centuries of knowing the puffball, and traitor doesn’t fit. It can’t fit. “Meta Knight,” Dedede says._

_No Sir, the title that Meta Knight is due. Just Meta Knight. Dedede knows he fails with words, and that’s all he can say, without it coming out all wrong._

 

 

* * *

 

The pet healed quickly, with a little magic and without being confined to a tiny cage. It became more active, too, and Dedede caught the creature pacing and attempting to fly. When the scarfy-thing finally managed to gain some altitude, Dedede clapped enthusiastically. The creature descended and landed a bit awkwardly. “You’ve really gotten better!” Dedede exclaimed.

 

“I know,” the creature said thoughtfully, flexing its wings.

 

Dedede’s heart sank. “You don’t…you don’t like it much here, do you?” Dedede asked.

 

The scarfy-thing folded its wings around itself. “No, no’ weally,” it answered.

 

Dedede had grown very fond of the creature, but if it was so unhappy, how could he possibly justify keeping it locked up? He didn’t know, but he knew someone who might. It was the queen of Dreamland, who’d been absent during the scarfy-thing’s captivity and who was considered generally wise and kind. Fortunately for the creature, she was significantly smarter than either her husband or son.

 

“Mommy, Daddy found me a pet!” Dedede declared, before even greeting his mother.

 

“A pet? What did he get you? A little fish, perhaps?” the queen asked.

 

“It’s a scarfy-thing,” he said. “It has wings!”

 

The queen of Dreamland glanced warily at her husband. “A scarfy with wings?” she queried.

 

Dedede nodded and proudly led his mother to the room where his pet was. Like a good gentleman, Dedede let his mother enter first. “I know he seems mean at fir—”

 

The queen screamed. “ _That_! _That_ is your pet? Oh, Dedede, _no_!” she exclaimed.

 

The king of Dreamland ambled in after Dedede and leaned against the entrance. The scarfy-thing took a careful step back. “I like him,” Dedede said, assuming that his mother simply didn’t like the scarfy-thing. “Even if he’s not—not the best pet.”

 

“No, Sweetie,” the queen said, her gaze never leaving the wary creature. “Dedede, that isn’t—you can’t make _that_ a pet; it’s a rational, thinking creature.”

 

“Really?” the king asked. “I thought it was some kind of scarfy.”

 

“He’s adorable,” the queen said, gazing softly at the creature. “He’s called a puffball, though he looks a little different from what I expected.”

 

“Ugly,” the king said sagely.

 

“Stop it. I mean, puffballs are not typically such dark colors, and I’ve only heard of one having wings,” the queen said, pausing.

 

She wondered if those differences had led to the little one being alone like that. The puffball, seeming to sense that the queen was significantly smarter than either her son or her husband, cautiously waddled towards her. “What is your name?” the queen asked.

 

The puffball scrunched up his face, in an effort to get the sounds right. “Medi, Me-ti, Med…wike butt’fwy. I’ dwoes medi’ophosas,” the puffball rambled.

 

“Metamorphosis?” the queen supplied.

 

“Medi,” he insisted. “Medi wi’ow ‘ophosas.”

 

“Meta?”

 

The puffball nodded enthusiastically. Dedede sighed. _Blue_ had fit the creature so well! Meta didn’t make any sense at all! “I wondered why it had a sword,” the king muttered.

 

“A sword?” the queen asked. “He had a _sword_ with him, and you didn’t realize that he’s _not_ the sort of thing you can have as a pet? Give him the sword back!”

 

The king mumbled something incomprehensible, as he left. The queen sighed and approached the puffball. “Gwasia?” the puffball asked hopefully.

 

“Yes, of course, I’ll have your blade returned to you,” the queen said.

 

“Meta,” Dedede muttered, testing the name.

 

He _still_ liked Blue better, but if that was the puff-thing’s name, there was nothing to be done about it. Since Meta wasn’t a pet, though, Dedede felt that an apology was in order. “Um, Meta,” he said. “I’m sorry about this all. I didn’t realize that you were—weren’t supposed to be a pet.”

 

“It’s more your father’s fault than yours,” the queen said, while patting the puffball’s head. “He should’ve known better.”

 

Meta looked at Dedede for a few long seconds. “It’s…is awight,” the creature finally said.

 

But Dedede didn’t _feel_ like it was alright. He sat, several feet away, and watched his mother coo over the puffal. Eventually, the king returned, with a bright, golden sword. Dedede had never seen the weapon, and it was bizarre to think of something as small as Meta wielding it. Dedede’s mother took the blade and offered it hilt-first to the puffball. Meta squeaked in excitement.

 

“Is it really okay for him to have that?” the king asked.

 

At the question, Meta scrambled backwards. The puffball hugged the sword to its body and reproachfully eyed the family. “No tak’ Gwasia awg’in,” he said.

 

“Of course not. Please, forgive my foolish husband,” the queen said. “It’s quite apparent to me that you’re a young knight, and it’s only befitting for a knight to have a sword.”

 

The queen performed a small curtsey. “I do apologize for any offense we’ve caused in our ignorance, Sir Meta Knight,” she said.

 

Meta—delighted by the addition of _Knight_ —attempted to bow, tripping over his feet. The queen smiled indulgently. “I do hope, Sir Knight, that you will stay with us and allow us to treat your injuries, as compensation for any indignity we have caused you. And,” she added, with sparkling eyes. “I think I can do something to correct your poor eyesight.”

 

* * *

 

 

_Meta Knight lowers his hand and turns his gaze to the bushes, where the little waddle dee has regained its footing. It gazes expectantly at its master, and Meta Knight’s face seems to soften—only Dedede would catch that. “At ease,” Meta Knight says. “End your watch early, Sailor. There is little need to us both to be awake.”_

_The waddle dee looks between Meta Knight and Dedede, clearly loathe to leave his master unattended. Waddle dees are not the most intelligent creatures. They tend to live in packs, loyal to whoever gives them food, but this one is different. Dedede isn’t sure why or how precisely, but this waddle dee dotes and adores over Meta Knight, even when Meta Knight has nothing left to give. “I’ll be fine,” Meta Knight assures him. “I am a fierce warrior, in case you’ve forgotten.”_

_The waddle dee chuckles, high and delicately. “Never, Sir Meta Knight!” he exclaims._

* * *

 

Meta Knight liked to read, to Dedede’s utter bafflement. The castle had a vast library, but no one ever visited it. Meta Knight liked it there, though, so Dedede quietly ensured that a couple of waddle dees were always around to fetch Sir Meta Knight whatever food or drink he desired.

 

Sometimes, Dedede passive-aggressively sent food anyway, without Meta Knight’s request. Meta Knight tended to pursue things with a singular, unbreakable focus, and sometimes, the puffball forgot to eat. After three days without seeing the knight, Dedede waddled into the foreign room. Meta Knight was there, sitting before a book at least twice his entire body mass. Dedede peered over the puffball’s head. “You’re reading about cloaks?” Dedede asked. “You’ve been reading for _three days_ about cloaks?”

 

“It’s a cape,” Meta Knight said, “The Dimensional Cape. It’s a Halcandran artifact, capable of forming a commensal relationship with its wearer. I want to find it.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Why not?” Meta Knight asked. “It sounds useful, and I could do with a grand adventure.”

 

That was before Kirby, before Nightmare, and before Dedede became king. That was in another century and another time, when Meta Knight had to _look_ for adventures. After Kirby, the adventures just seemed to find the knight errant.

 

* * *

 

_The waddle dee ambles away, and Dedede watches it for a few heartbeats. Meta Knight watches it, too, his golden eyes unreadable. “He went down with me on the Halberd,” Meta Knight says quietly, “Even after the rest of the crew fled. He might’ve died because of me.”_

_“Why did he stay? That’s odd for a waddle dee.”_

_“I know. He said he couldn’t bear the thought of me being alone; he was loyal,” Meta Knight says, sounding both proud and unsettled._

_For all his confidence, there’s something deeply breakable about Meta Knight. Dedede only knows because he’s known Meta Knight for so very long. “He reminds me of you,” Dedede says._

* * *

 

“I’m fine,” he said.

 

“ _Fine_? Your left wing has a hole the size of my fist! And by the Stars, you look like someone dragged you through a rose bush! What did you _do_?”

 

Meta Knight scoffed and danced back, when Dedede attempted to touch a particularly painful gash. “Don’t make it worse!” the puffball exclaimed.

 

Dedede threw his paws up in frustration. “Since you ask,” Meta Knight said, “I found Dark Nebula.”

 

Dedede’s eyes widened. “Dark Nebula? I thought—the chest. You—you couldn’t possibly have…”

 

“Yes, it’s sealed within the chest. I wasn’t powerful enough to kill it,” Meta Knight said, “But for now, Dreamland can rest easy.”

 

Dedede sighed. Aside from that wing, Meta Knight looked _almost_ fine, though Dedede had every intention of making the knight pay later. Meta Knight was supposed to be trying to find a _cape_. How in Nova’s name, did the puffball end up facing _Dark Nebula_?

 

“Did you at least find the damn cape?” Dedede asked, after a few moments of silence.

 

Meta Knight chuckled. His wings twisted, with an elegant flourish, and transformed into a shimmering, violet cape. “What do you think?” Meta Knight asked.

 

The puffball spun on his feet, the cape billowing behind him, and he looked so very regal and fierce that Dedede’s heart warmed with pride for his favorite knight.

 

“Magnificent.”

 

“It really is!” Meta Knight said excitedly. “You won’t _believe_ all the things she can do.”

 

But Dedede hadn’t meant the cape.

 

* * *

 

_“What?”_

_Meta Knight doesn’t sound affronted, just surprised. “There was a time, when you were…” Dedede trails off._

_He can’t bring himself to say loyal like that because that means admitting that Meta Knight isn’t loyal now, and the king isn’t willing to admit that. “I was never like that,” Meta Knight said. “Obedience was never my strong suit.”_

_“Neither was submission.”_

* * *

 

Meta Knight clenched the broken piece of the Star Rod in his paws. “Guard that with your life,” Dedede said.

 

“I will,” Meta Knight replied.

 

Dedede nodded. It seemed like there ought to be more to say, but there wasn’t anything he _could_ say. Meta Knight vanished, with a flash of his cape. “Be careful, Meta Knight,” Dedede muttered, to the spot where Meta Knight had stood.

 

* * *

 

_Meta Knight hums and doesn’t argue. “Why did you do this?” Dedede asks._

_“Why do you think?”_

_Dedede groans. He hates it, when Meta Knight plays his little riddle games. “Not everyone is as smart as you,” Dedede says bitterly. “Look; I’m very sorry—”_

_“You are sorry? I launched an invasion upon Dreamland, Your Majesty.”_

_“I know.”_

_Meta Knight is suddenly surveying him carefully, thoughtfully, and it unnerves Dedede. “But clearly, I failed you,” Dedede says, “Or you would’ve…you would’ve come to me with, um…whatever. Whatever concerns you had.”_

_“You blame yourself too much for my actions,” Meta Knight says._

_“No, you’re wrong. I’m the king, and you’re my knight. I’m supposed to take care of you,” Dedede replies._

_“I’m capable of caring for myself,” Meta Knight answers._

 

* * *

 

Meta Knight arrived too late. Dedede’s shoulders slumped. “Have faith,” Meta Knight muttered. “I think Kirby will be victorious against Nightmare.”

 

“ _What_?”

 

Meta Knight’s gaze was unfathomable. “What have you done?” Dedede asked, spinning around.

 

Meta Knight said nothing. “Meta Knight!” Dedede exclaimed. “What have you _done_?”

 

“Turned an extraordinarily gifted warrior-child into a hero,” Meta Knight replied, “With a few lollipops and a little training.”

 

“And you didn’t—”

 

“You wouldn’t have agreed with me. Now let’s see how this plays out, shall we?”

 

Dedede had little faith in Kirby, but he believed in Meta Knight very much.

 

* * *

 

_“Of course, you are. I mean, you’re you, but I should’ve been a better friend, clearly. I don’t know what I did, but—I’ve always made more mistakes than you. And you’re my best friend—”_

_“Not anymore,” Meta Knight says flatly._

_To anyone else, Meta Knight’s words would sound cold, but Dedede knows better. There are people who call Meta Knight cold and narcissistic, and there’s some truth in it. Meta Knight has his flaws, like anyone else, but he’s not nearly as heartless as some think. Meta Knight cares a lot and tries to hide it. People have a way of hurting the things Meta Knight cares about, so he pretends not to care about anything. “You’re so good, Meta Knight,” Dedede says._

_“I beg to differ,” Meta Knight argues._

_“No, I mean, your intentions are always good, so even though you’ve done this, I can’t—I can’t hate you for it,” Dedede says._

_He stumbles over the word hate because he can’t imagine ever hating Meta Knight, who he loves so much that it hurts. A world where Meta Knight isn’t his best friend and dearest companion is a world that Dedede never wants to live in. “I need you to hate me for it,” Meta Knight says softly._

_Dedede shakes his head. “I can’t. I’ve already forgiven you,” Dedede answers._

 

* * *

 

His waddle dees gathered around him, after his defeat. Dedede slumped on the ground; it was too much effort to walk to the castle. Everything was too much. The king caught the familiar sound of wings and flinched. Meta Knight had known the outcome, had even warned Dedede of it, but the king hadn’t listened. “I swear by the Fountain of Dreams, if you say I told you so—”

 

“Let’s go home.”

 

Dedede glanced up, and the knight offered him a paw. “It’s unbefitting for a king to kneel,” Meta Knight added. “Arise, Your Majesty.”

 

Dedede allowed the knight to help him and finally, took his first steps towards the castle. Meta Knight didn’t say another word.

 

* * *

 

_Dedede launches himself forward and hugs Meta Knight tightly. He hasn’t hugged Meta Knight in years, and he doubted the puffball would even allow it. Meta Knight doesn’t fight, though. Instead, he lets Dedede pet his head and coo soft assurances of how Meta Knight is always going to be his best friend. “I’m leaving,” Meta Knight murmurs._

_Dedede releases the knight. “Where are you going?”_

_“I don’t know,” answers Meta Knight. “Just somewhere. I need some time to think.”_

_“Will you come back?” Dedede asks._

_“Do you want me to?”_

_“Of course, I want you to, Meta!”_

_Meta Knight sighs and pulls his cape tightly around his body. “Then, I will,” he says. “For you. But…take care of the little waddle dee, won’t you? He can’t go with me, but I’m loathe to abandon him.”_

 

_If Meta Knight’s payment for promising to return is that Dedede take care of a waddle dee, he’ll pamper the little creature to death. “Sure, but I’m assuming that you’ll come back to see that I’m doing a good job,” Dedede says. “You never know; I might forget he’s a thinking, rational creature. You might come back, and I’ll have him on a leash.”_

_“You’re going to bring that up?” Meta Knight inquires._

_“Yeah. My father wasn’t the brightest. To be fair, his son isn’t either,” Dedede says, grinning at his bit of self-depreciating humor._

_“Yes, well.”_

_Meta Knight unfurls his cape, which twists familiarly into his beautiful wings. “I’ll say my farewells to Sailor Dee, and—”_

_“You gave it a name?”_

_Meta Knight pauses. “Well, I couldn’t just call it Waddle Dee. Besides, he’s a very bright creature.”_

_A lot like Meta Knight, Dedede thinks, but doesn’t say._

 

_He watches while Meta Knight says his farewells, and the waddle dee clings to Meta Knight, vowing to go anywhere with him. Dedede notes that Meta Knight can’t quite bring himself to be cold, but the knight pats the waddle dee on the head and launches himself into the air, where neither Sailor Dee nor Dedede can follow. Sailor Dee cannot fly, and Dedede is far too slow._

_For a few seconds, Dedede isn’t sure what to do. Finally, he pulls a length of blue cloth from inside his coat and offers the material to the waddle dee. “Wear it, so I can tell you apart from the others,” Dedede says._

_The waddle dee takes the bandanna and ties it around its head. “So now you’re Bandanna Dee,” Dedede says._

_Privately, the king refers to the little waddle dee as Meta Knight’s waddle dee. It’s not because Meta Knight owns the waddle dee, but because it’s how Dedede reminds himself not to mess up. This waddle dee is dear to Meta Knight, and King Dedede needs to remember that._

_What is dear to Sir Meta Knight is dear to him, too._

* * *

 

Galacta Knight was sealed in a crystal; Meta Knight was sealed in a mirror. With a huff, the knight let dimensional cape fall about his feet. The cape had never failed him before, but even it wasn’t enough to escape the Mirror World. He’d _failed_ , and Dreamland—

 

He caught himself before he completed the thought; it didn’t do to think that way. Meta Knight frowned and began walking, without any destination in mind. If the Mirror World held a corrupted version of himself, who else would be there? He was thinking of someone in particular. He was thinking of a young, horrifying, naïve thing that had the unfortunate knack for causing destruction and bringing salvation in equal measures.

 

And that was humiliating. Having to be _rescued_ , hoping to be rescued, was humiliating, but there wasn’t much Meta Knight could do about it. So he kept walking.

 

* * *

 

 _He’s tired and ragged, his wings in tatters and blood matted into his soft, short fur. He looks like the sort of thing that doesn’t even belong in Dreamland, like some monstrous being of a nightmare, and he’s dripping blood onto the floor. But he’s_ alive _. Gloriously, wonderfully alive. “Fetch some bandages,” Dedede tells a waddle dee._

_No one but Dedede is going to touch Meta Knight; the king knows little about healing, but it’s enough. It’s always been enough. “And Bandanna Dee,” Dedede adds, almost as an afterthought._

_Before the waddle dee have even ran from the room, Dedede has unbuckled Meta Knight’s pauldrons. “I think I used the last of my bandages on Kirby,” Meta Knight says, “But I can look.”_

_Before Meta Knight can shift the Dimensional Cape to look, Dedede sighs dramatically and smacks the puffal affectionately on the head. “You and your fancy pocket dimensions,” Dedede teases. “You already have your wings out. Just wait for the waddle dee.”_

_Meta Knight hums. With a small smile, Dedede unbuckles the puffball’s mask. Meta Knight blinks a few times, his white eyes dazzled. A long, angry-looking slash parts Meta Knight’s face. “You almost lost an eye to that,” Dedede mutters, delicately tracing the thin mark._

_“To my dark self, no less,” Meta Knight says. “I repaid him for it, in more ways than one.”_

_“I heard about the mirror,” Dedede says. “I’m glad you’re alright.”_

_The waddle dee returns with bandages, cloth, and a bowl of warm water. “Oh, good,” Meta Knight says, reaching for the supplies._

_Dedede stops him. “I’ll clean you up. Let me,” the king says._

_Meta Knight, uncharacteristically indulgent, allows Dedede to clean away the crusted blood. “You took quite a beating, Meta Knight,” Dedede notes. “I don’t know what to do with your wings.”_

_“The membrane is torn; that will mend itself. Fortunately, nothing is broken.”_

_Dedede isn’t sure, but he takes Meta Knight’s word for it. The puffball knows his body better than Dedede, after all. “Sir Meta Knight!”_

_Meta Knight turns sharply at the sound of his name, and the waddle dee squeaks. “Y-you’re not wearing your mask!” he stammers._

_“It’s alright,” Meta Knight says. “Why—you’re Sailor Dee, aren’t you?”_

_“Bandanna Dee now,” Dedede remarks, “But yeah, that’s your waddle dee.”_

_Meta Knight’s wings twitch—a sign that the puffal is pleased, though Dedede is the only one to understand that. “It’s very good to see you, Sailor,” Meta Knight says._

_The waddle dee approaches and gazes fondly at the knight. “You, too, Sir Meta Knight!” the waddle dee exclaims._

_He’d_ really _like to hug Sir Meta Knight, but the waddle dee isn’t sure if that’s allowed. Instead, the waddle dee sits beside the knight, while Dedede carefully wipes blood from the puffball’s wings. “It’s good to have you home,” Dedede murmurs._

_Meta Knight is quiet for several seconds. Then, haltingly, he says, “To be honest, it’s good to_ be _home.”_

* * *

 

 _Ultra Sword._ Kirby skipped along, happily waving the large sword with him. Bandanna Dee followed close behind the puffball, chattering excitedly. “That’s terrifying,” Dedede murmured, hanging back with Meta Knight.

 

“I know,” Meta Knight replied.

 

“If he ever turns on us, _really_ turns on us…” Dedede trailed off.

 

“Yes, but for now, he is young. Reckless and naïve, but he means well. Don’t fret over it too much,” Meta Knight said.

 

“He is dangerous. You agree, don’t you?”

 

Meta Knight nodded. “But so are we.”


End file.
